The West Chicago Garden Club

At this point, we can see the end of winter on the horizon.  March 21, the spring equinox, is only about a month away!  The days are noticeably longer and we can look forward to Daylight Savings Time beginning on March 13!  All those piles of snow will be gone before we know it!  Since Ground Hog Day marked a snow storm of record proportions the legend (“no sun, then winters done”) predicts an early spring.  All signs are pointed in the right direction.

February is “Feed the Birds Month”. Hope you’ve all been doing your part. It’s also possible that we could see the first blossoms of the year in February.  Snowdrops are brave souls.  They may not even wait for the snow to melt before poking through.  What a sight for the winter-weary!  The white drop shaped buds look much like an ear drop (old name for earring) and the Latin mane Galanthus means milk white flowers. This small bulb is hardy zone 3-7 and is lovely in mass planting. Continue Reading »

Winter in the Chicago area means lots of ice and snow. Keeping paths, steps, and porches free of ice is an important safety measure, but not all ice melting products are plant friendly! Rock salt, or sodium chloride is our most common product, but it’s extremely harmful to plant material and can impact your soil health. Look for products made with calcium or magnesium chloride that are still effective, but much more plant friendly. In each case, less is more, so only use deicing chemicals in small areas. You can add extra traction and extend the product by mixing it with sand. Try to avoid piling salt-laden snow around trees or shrubs. If it can’t be avoided, make sure to thoroughly water the area in the spring to wash the product out of the soil and the root

“We haven’t designed this garden…we’ve made it a place we like, almost by accident”

From a Welsh gardener…garden featured in a recent issue of Gardens Illustrated.

How many of us have created our gardens by accident?  I expect a lot of hands are in the air!  And that is why we have January and February.  What an opportunity to read, talk, and plan!  While trial and error is tons of fun, considered choices may be more productive. Not to sound like a wet blanket…

So…we are looking through magazines, books, photos of the garden, catalogues, and such…savoring ideas of what to do this year.  Dear garden club members, we could use your help!  Got any brain storms for us?  The best results often come from a group effort.  Your input would be most welcome.  Have you thought that so and so plant/shrub would be perfect for the garden, or wouldn’t a path or bed be just the ticket …right there…. Well, talk with us.  Ideas provoke more ideas and we could be off and running on another fabulous year in the garden. Also, please think of us if you have plants ready for division.  Our best plants in the garden are pass-alongs from friends.  Last year, Merle Burleigh donated a generous amount of Plumbago/Leadwort from her garden.  The perky blue flowers were striking against purple-red foliage last fall.  Even in its first year, it was lovely!  Thanks Merle! Continue Reading »